24-hour hotline : 23 922 922
e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Ref : EIC 230/4/1/2
2 August 2011
Dear Sirs,
Commercial Information Circular No. 464/2011
Notice to Exporters: Series 2 (EU) No. 6/2011
European Union (EU)* : Commission Directives Announcing the Use of Textile Fibre "Polypropylene/Polyamide Bicomponent" for Labelling Purpose and the Related Test Methods
The European Commission (EC) has introduced amendments to Directives 2008/121/EC and 96/73/EC by adding the fibre polypropylene/polyamide bicomponent to the list of textile fibres for labelling purpose and defining the uniform test methods for the fibre respectively. Details of the amendments are set out in Directives 2011/73/EU and 2011/74/EU of 29 July 2011 accessible from the EU website at :
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:198:0030:0031:EN:PDF
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:198:0032:0036:EN:PDF
DETAILS
2. The Directive 2008/121/EC lays down rules governing the labelling or marking of fibre content of textile products and provides a list of textile fibres with specified nature and description for labelling purpose. The Directive of 23 January 2009 is accessible from the EU website at :
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:019:0029:0048:EN:PDF
3. The Directive 96/73/EC provides uniform methods for quantitative analysis of binary textile fibre mixtures in order to carry out checks on the conformity of textile products with indications given on the label. The Directive of 3 February 1997 is accessible from the EU website at :
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31996L0073:en:HTML
4. On the basis of the recent findings by a technical working group and for the purpose of adaptation to technical progress, the EC has adopted Directive 2011/73/EU to add the fibre polypropylene/polyamide bicomponent to the list of textile fibres contained in Annexes I and V to the Directive 2008/121/EC. Correspondingly, Directive 2011/74/EU defines uniform test methods for the new fibre by amending Annex II to Directive 96/73/EC. Both Directives 2011/73/EU and 2011/74/EU shall enter into force on 19 August 2011. EU Member States are also required to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directives 2011/73/EU and 2011/74/EU by 30 July 2012.
ENQUIRIES
5. For enquiries concerning the contents of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5427.
Yours faithfully,
(Miss Anna CHEUNG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry
* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Note ：
While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.